The invention relates to a process for producing (cigarette) packs from blanks made of (thin) cardboard or similar packaging material, there being arranged within the packs protrusions which are formed by folding tabs or folding webs of the blank, in particular supporting protrusions in the region of a base wall for supporting the pack contents, namely a cigarette block. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the process.
The main concern here is the production of cigarette packs of the hinge-lid-box type of the design according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,241.827. In the case of this known cigarette pack, protrusions are formed in the region of the base wall by folding webs or folding tabs, and the cuboidal pack contents, namely a cigarette group enclosed by an inner wrapper, rest thereon. The supporting protrusions cause pack contents, of relatively small dimensions, to assume a correct position, in particular in relation to a lid.
The invention deals with the production of packs of this type or of similar type.
The object of the invention is to incorporate the production of the supporting protrusions within the pack in an expedient manner in the production process of said pack.
In order to achieve this object, the process according to the invention is characterized in that the folding tabs or folding webs, for forming the supporting protrusions, are deformed at least partially from the planar or largely non-folded blank.
The invention preferably proceeds such that, during the transportation of the non-folded blank along a blank path, the folding tabs or folding webs are folded definitively or at least pre-folded and folded definitively during the continued folding operation of the blanks. The folding or pre-folding takes place during the continuous transportation of the blanks along the blank path. The predetermined production process for the packs is thus not adversely affected by the provision of the supporting protrusions.
The apparatus according to the invention, namely a sub-region of the packaging machine for (cigarette) packs, comprises a horizontal or inclined blank path for the transportation of the (largely) non-folded blanks. Arranged in the region of the blank path are stationary, but movable folding and/or shaping elements which cause the folding tabs or folding webs to be folded and/or shaped during the movement of the blanks. The folding can be finished thereafter, in particular in the region of a folding turret or during the transfer of the blanks to said folding turret.
Further details of the invention relate to the configuration of the folding and/or shaping elements for the folding tabs or folding webs and to the integration of these elements in the packaging machine for the production of the relevant packs.